Hansard

I thank all my colleagues who have supported the motion and those who will speak in the debate.

I am pleased to say that this is the fourth year that the Parliament has marked pancreatic cancer awareness month. I thank Pancreatic Cancer UK and Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland for their on-going work and their briefings for the debate.

Since the first debate on the subject in 2017, the tireless efforts of campaigners have assured that this uniquely aggressive form of cancer is higher up the Scottish health agenda. Over the years, I have on occasion been moved to tears by contributions to the debates. I am glad that John Scott has returned to his parliamentary duties. His struggle and the account of his wife’s tragic diagnosis and passing was a seminal moment in this chamber.

My interest in the subject was sparked by my parliamentary assistant, Nicki, whose mum died from pancreatic cancer. Nicki is no longer with me but, following her graduation, is working for Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland in what she tells me is her dream job.

It is a source of great sadness that we cannot have the public engagement that usually accompanies a debate on this subject. I have become accustomed to seeing the gallery filled with activists who are determined to make a difference for people with pancreatic cancer. It is usually a sea of purple up there.

Pancreatic cancer awareness month takes place each November to raise awareness of the terrible disease and its impact on those who suffer from it and on their loved ones. People are often shocked to hear the statistics that are highlighted as part of the initiative. Pancreatic cancer is one of the least survivable cancers in Scotland. Only one in four people who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive beyond a year, with the five-year survival rate in Scotland at only 5.6 per cent. For context, the average five-year survival rate for the more survivable cancers is 69 per cent. That alone should tell us why we need this debate every year.

Looking back at previous debates, I see that tragedy is a thematic occurrence. However, tonight, there is also hope for the future. Every November, when we speak about pancreatic cancer, we note that survival rates have barely changed in the past 50 years. Those sobering figures throw into sharp relief the need for sustained investment and continued action.

Although pancreatic cancer can affect anyone across Scotland, we are now seeing research that shows that poorer outcomes relate to socioeconomic background, ethnicity and age. This is not just about survival rates; societal inequality is what brought me to politics, and it drives me to tackle the health inequality that is rife among pancreatic cancer patients.

In the most deprived areas, cancer registrations are up to 15 per cent above the average. From that, we can conclude that income and economic activity are key social determinants of health. That is why the reduction of wealth inequality is not only a crucial economic goal but a health necessity and a moral imperative.

Increasing awareness of the underlying symptoms of pancreatic cancer remains a key challenge. It is estimated that 55 per cent of people know almost nothing about the disease, and 73 per cent cannot name one symptom. A powerful new advert from Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland featured Gavin Oattes emphasising the importance of knowing the symptoms, and I commend Gavin for his bravery. For absolute clarity, and so that it is in the Official Report, the symptoms to look for are:

“abdominal pain that can spread to the back,

unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite,

new diabetes without weight gain,

a yellowing of the skin or eyes and itchy skin,

or a change in bowel habits and indigestion which doesn’t respond to treatment”.

However, as I said, this year there is hope and cause for optimism. Scotland has made tremendous strides in recent times. Our country is driving innovation and leading the way with regard to bettering the lives of pancreatic cancer patients. Research initiatives such as the Glasgow cancer tests and the Precision-Panc platform, which is led by Professor Biankin, show that there are pioneering new treatments and precision medicine for people with pancreatic cancer. Precision-Panc seeks to uncover the molecular profile of individuals with pancreatic cancer, ultimately paving the way for patients entering clinical trials by matching their tumour biology to the type of treatment that is appropriate for them. Such ambitious research exemplifies Scotland’s unwavering commitment to a better future for pancreatic cancer patients.

We must emphasise the importance of early diagnosis. For those diagnosed in time for surgery, the five-year survival rate increases by around 30 per cent. With early diagnosis and intervention, lives can be saved and pancreatic cancer patients can have a better quality of life. That is a goal worth striving for.

There is a discernible sea change. Last year, an incredible 100,000 people, nearly one tenth of whom were in Scotland, signed Pancreatic Cancer UK’s petition demanding faster treatment for people with pancreatic cancer. That is key. I know that there has been a great response to the shift in awareness.

Lynda Murray, who has been a tenacious campaigner around pancreatic cancer following the death of her father, William Begley, has doggedly pursued the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to encourage her to look again at the unique aggressiveness of this disease and recognise the change that is needed in patient pathways in order to give people a chance, because all that she and her family wanted was for her dad to have a chance to beat pancreatic cancer. Lynda Murray sends her heartfelt thanks to the health secretary, Jeane Freeman, for her support in getting the disease on to the agenda and for forming the pancreatic cancer working group. Nearly two years ago, Jeane Freeman met Lynda Murray, Dr Ross Carter and I, and she not only listened, she acted.

We have seen an increase in investment in pancreatic cancer research and recognition of the disease in the cancer strategy update that was published in April 2020 as part of Scotland’s cancer recovery plan. The plan commits to delivering early diagnosis centres across Scotland—which is absolutely key—providing a radical change to the patient’s experience of being tested. People will be able to attend the centre and have multiple tests in one go, saving effort, resources and, more importantly for these patients, time—time to give them that chance.

In large part, that change is down to the limitless dedication of the campaigners. Policy makers, our health service and the wider cancer research community must now come together. The figures have been static for many years and will not change unless we can do more to improve the reality for people with pancreatic cancer in Scotland today. From pre-diagnosis and at every stage onwards, there are many points at which a patient can be supported by focusing on the whole care pathway. It is my fervent hope that my constituents in Motherwell and Wishaw and people across Scotland will back pancreatic cancer awareness month and will help to transform the lives of people who are affected by this awful disease.

Tomorrow is world pancreatic cancer day. I hope that by this time next year the gallery will be a sea of purple again and we will be able to hear speeches that focus not on stasis but on continued improvement. We want this to be about change. Let us make 2020 the beginning of a decade of change for pancreatic cancer.